Method of inserting the video mote into remote environment, video mote and sensor system

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a method of inserting a video mode into a remote environment, a video mote, and a sensor system. The video mote includes a camera for capturing a digital image via a flexible wire to a central computer. The video mote further includes an at least partially transparent container and includes a flexible wire having a length of more than 1 meter being connected to the receiver. The method of inserting the video mote include the steps of lowering the video mote into a pipe to a first position near an opening, and forcing a liquid through the pipe and thereby forcing the video mote through the opening into the remote environment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method of inserting a video mote into a remote environment.

The invention further relates to a video mote and a sensor system comprising the video mote.

BACKGROUND

Recovering heavy crude oil from an oil-bearing formation is known to be difficult. One approach is the so-called ‘Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand’ (CHOPS). In this technique oil is deliberately extracted together with sand. CHOPS is applied for example in unconsolidated sandstones. CHOPS requires a sand influx which is maintained during the productive life of the well. After recovery the sand and oil are separated, e.g., by settling, and the sand is disposed of. Maintaining or re-initiating sand and fluid influx is one of the challenges of CHOPS.

CHOPS reservoirs have been found at depths ranging from about 350 to 900 m. The reservoir itself may have varying degree of thickness; Reservoirs are known with thickness ranging from 3 meter to 30 m.

After a new CHOPS well is started, the initial sand influx is large, but over a period the sand influx diminishes until a steady-state is obtained. At the same time, the oil recovery increases until a maximum is reached.

After a CHOPS well has reached its maximum, production slowly declines, until at some point the oil production becomes too low for commercial exploitation. At this point a so-called ‘workover’ may be attempted.

A workover may increase the oil-production back to higher levels, by re-initiating and maintaining the sand influx. Known workover strategies include using larger diameter perforations in the oil well, using a different spacing of the perforations, apply a different type of pumping, apply fill-in wells, etc.

It is known that diagnosing the reasons for reduced oil production in a CHOPS well is difficult due to the inaccessibility of the location. Diagnostic data is often incomplete, inaccurate, or contradictory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to have a method for inspecting a remote environment such as an oil reservoir, especially for inaccessible three-dimensional structures such as the wormhole network formed by a CHOPS reservoir. A first aspect of the invention provides a method of inserting a video mote into a remote environment according to claim 1. A second aspect of the invention provides a video mote according to claim 6. A third aspect of the invention provides a sensor system comprising the video mote according to claim 9. Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

The method in accordance with the first aspect of the invention is configured for inserting a video mote into a remote environment via a pipe. The video mote is connected to a flexible wire and the pipe comprises an opening in a wall of the pipe for providing access to the remote environment. The method comprises the steps of lowering the video mote into the pipe to a first position inside the pipe near the opening, and forcing a liquid through the pipe into the remote environment via the opening and thereby forcing the video mote through the opening into the remote environment. Because the liquid may flow through the wormholes inside the remote environment, the video mote may be dragged along with the moving liquid and may penetrate part of the remote environment and so part of the wormhole, for example, up to a length of the flexible wire.

The video mote is lowered into the pipe. During the positioning of the video mote, the weight of the video mote may be carried by an additional cable, wire or rope. Alternatively, the weight of the video mote may be carried by the flexible wire connecting the video mote to the receiver.

Access to remote environments may often be very limited. Such remote environment may, for example, be underground reservoirs, for example, used in mining or oil and gas industry. The dimensions of the container are required to ensure that the video mote may migrate efficiently through the remote environment or through the channels inside an underground reservoir or oil reservoir to be able to inspect at least a part of this remote environment.

In an embodiment of the method, the video mote is coupled to the receiver and the step of lowering the video mote into the pipe comprises lowering the receiver into the pipe. As indicated before, the receiver is coupled to the video mote using the flexible wire. The length of this flexible wire is limited to ensure good data communication from the video mote to the receiver. When the remote environment is, for example, accessible using the pipe, the remote environment may be 350 to 900 meters below the surface of the earth. As such, the length of the flexible wire may be too long to cover that depth as well as allow the video mote to enter into the remote environment. This is solved by coupling the video mote to the receiver and by lowering the receiver into the pipe to a required depth such that the video mote, for example, is located relatively near to the opening. Because the receiver typically does not enter the remote environment, the dimensions of the receiver and of the connecting cable to the central computer are limited to the dimensions of the pipe connecting the surface of the earth with the remote environment, which typically is substantially larger compared to the wormholes to be inspected by the video mote.

In an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises the step of: determining the first position using the camera of the video mote. Using the camera of the video mote allows an easy positioning of the video mote relative to the opening. If, subsequently, the liquid is forced through the pipe and the opening into the remote environment, the receiver may be lowered further such that the video mote is dragged along with the flowing liquid and enters the remote environment. A live digital image feed may be used to maneuver the video mote into the opening by simply adapting a depth of the receiver (and thus a depth of the video mote) inside the pipe.

In an embodiment of the method when a plurality of video motes are coupled to the receiver, the video motes of the plurality of video motes are lowered into the pipe during the step of lowering the video motes into the pipe to the first position inside the pipe near the opening.

In an embodiment of the method, the method is configured for inserting the video mote into the remote environment containing oil.

The video mote in accordance with the second aspect of the invention comprises a camera for capturing digital images from the remote environment, and a controller arranged for receiving the digital image and for transmitting the digital image to a central computer via a receiver. The video mote further comprises a container at least partially transparent for protecting the camera and the controller, in which the container has a maximum outer dimension less than 30 millimeter. The video mote also comprises a flexible wire which has a length of more than 1 meter and which is connected to the controller for transmitting the digital image away from the video mote via the flexible wire to the receiver. The video mote further comprises an energy supply, for example, comprising a battery, an energy supplying capacitor or other means for supplying energy to the video mote.

The inventors have realized that the requirements of a video mote which is to be used in remote environments are very specific, especially when the accessibility of the remote environment is limited. One of the specific requirements is that the dimensions of the video mote should be smaller than 30 millimeter such that the video mote may be able to move through relatively narrow channels in the remote environment. In the previously discussed oil reservoir, the oil reservoir comprises a network of wormholes. To be able to visually inspect at least a part of the wormholes, the maximum dimensions of the video mote should be less than the 30 millimeter. For example, the container of the video mote may have a substantially cylindrical shape in which the maximum dimension of the cylindrical shape along the longitudinal axis is less than 30 millimeter. A further requirement of the video mote is to transmit digital images back to the central computer. Often such communication is done wirelessly. However, wireless communication inside a remote environment such as an oil reservoir is very limited, especially when at least a part of the oil reservoir is flooded with water containing sand to withdraw the oil using CHOPS. In such an environment, the relatively small video motes have to be connected to the central computer using a flexible wire, especially to ensure a reliable video connection between the video mote and the central computer. The connection wire has to be a flexible wire to ensure that the video mote, when entered into the remote environment, may also migrate inside the remote environment, for example, at least partially inside one of the wormholes in the oil reservoir. Using the video mote according to the invention allows for a video mote which is able to move at least partially through the remote environment while maintaining a reliable data communication connection with the central computer such that the digital images may be transmitted to the central computer.

The video mote may be configured and arranged for taking a plurality of digital images at a substantially video frame rate such that the sequence of digital images resembles a (live) video which may be watched, for example, on the central computer. Alternatively, the frame rate at which the video mote captures images may be strongly reduced, for example, to reduce the amount of data transmitted by the controller via the flexible wire. This may, for example, depend on the camera which is used, the controller which is used and, for example, depend on the data capacity and bandwidth of the flexible wire.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the flexible wire is further connected to the energy supply and is configured for providing power to the video mote. In known motes, these motes often have their own on board power supply such that they can act stand alone. However, because the video mote according to the current invention requires a flexible wire to ensure good communication of the digital image, this flexible wire may be arranged to also provide power to the video mote. An advantage of such added power supply via the flexible wire is that it enables that the dimensions of the video mote may be further reduced. When also using a part of the flexible wire for providing power to the video mote, bulky batteries or other energy storage elements may be omitted from the video mote, allowing the video mote the be made smaller.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the predefined length of the flexible wire is more than 2 meters, or more than 5 meters, or more than 10 meters, or more than 20 meters, or more than 50 meters. The length of the flexible wire determines a maximum length that the video mote can enter the remote environment for visually inspecting the remote environment. Experiments have shown that wires op to 50 meters still provide a good data transmission from the video mote to the central computer. One way of achieving good communication from the video mote to the central computer when using an oil reservoir is by including a receiver in between the video mote and the central computer. The video mote is connected to the receiver using the flexible wire, while the receiver is connected to the central computer using, for example, a high data-rate cable. When inspecting an oil reservoir, a sensor system comprising the video mote and receiver is especially beneficial as the length of the flexible wire determines the depth that the video mote may enter the oil reservoir, while the receiver is positioned inside a pipe connecting the surface with the oil reservoir. The cable connecting the receiver with the central computer may be relatively bulky, as long as it fits through the pipe. Furthermore, using such sensor system having a video mote and a receiver allows for implementing a plurality of video motes which all may be connected via an individual flexible wire to the receiver. As such, multiple video motes may be forced into the remote environment and thus may visually inspect multiple wormholes simultaneously, while all data is collected by the receiver and passed on to the central computer.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the video mote comprises a further sensor. This further sensor may include a further video camera for visually inspecting a further part of the surroundings of the video mote. Alternatively, the further sensor may be configured for sensing a parameter of the surroundings of the video mote, such as the local pressure, temperature, acidity and/or conductivity. These additional parameters may provide further data of the local environment in, for example, the wormhole which is being visually inspected by the video mote.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the further sensor is configured for identifying an orientation and/or position of the video mote. When injecting the video mote into the remote environment, especially when the remote environment is at a considerable depth below the surface of the earth or below sea level, it may be challenging to see in what direction the video mote is progressing through the remote environment. Using the further sensor which is configured to identify the orientation of the video mote enables to determine in what direction the video mote is progressing through the remote environment which contributes to a better understanding of the remote environment. For example, the video mote may comprise an on-board navigation arrangement such as inertia navigation systems, comprising, for example, an accelerometer, or a gyroscope or a magnetometer. Alternatively and in some circumstance a compass may be used to determine the orientation of the video mote and determine the migration direction. Alternatively, there may be other identification means which may be picked up by the further sensor. For example, at the end of the pipe connecting the surface with the remote reservoir there may be some kind of identification in what direction the video mote will enter the remote environment from the pipe. This may even be a simple visual mark which may be identified using the on-board camera of the video mote before the video mote leaves the pipe and enters into the remote environment.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the container comprises external fins for stabilizing the video mote in moving liquid. The video mote may migrate through the remote environment pushed along using the moving liquid. To still get a relatively stable digital image back from the video mote, the container contains external fins to stabilize the video mote. Using static fins already stabilize the position of the video mote in moving liquid.

Alternatively, the external fins are arranged to stabilize the video mote in liquid moving at least partially along the flexible wire towards the video mote. The video mote is pushed along using the moving liquid while the speed at which the video mote moves inside the remote environment is limited by the speed at which the flexible wire is released into the remote environment. As such, there is a tension force typically at a connection point where the flexible wire is coupled to the container of the video mote. The external fins may be required at a location of the video mote opposite from the location where the flexible wire is connected to the container. This may also be the position where the camera is located, so the external fins may at least partially block the digital image recorded by the camera. In a preferred embodiment, the external fins may be made of at least partially transparent material to minimize the visibility on the digital image.

In an embodiment of the video mote, the container is watertight and, for example, arranged to withstand a pressure of approximately 500 kilo-Pascal, or 1000 kilo-Pascal, or 2000 kilo-Pascal, or up to 5000 kilo-Pascal. The pressure with which the liquid will be forced into the remote environment to drag the video mote along may be considerable. Furthermore, there may already be a liquid inside the remote environment at a certain pressure. The container should be arranged to withstand the high pressures that will act upon it at the remote environment, or at least during the time that the video mote is expected to operate inside the remote environment.

The sensor system in accordance with the third aspect of the invention comprises at least one video mote according to the invention and a receiver, the at least one video mote being connected to the receiver via the flexible wire for transmitting the digital image from the video mote via the flexible wire to the receiver. As indicated before, the flexible wire then only determines the distance at which the video mote may be able to enter into the remote environment, while the receiver may be positioned relatively locally for, for example, amplifying the signal received from the video mote and transmitting the received signal towards the central computer. Of course preferably, a plurality of video motes are connected to a single receiver such that one visual inspection of the remote environment allows for inspecting a plurality of different wormholes or other narrow passages inside the remote environment.

In an embodiment of the sensor system, the sensor system is configured for identifying an orientation of the video mote inside a pipe and/or inside the remote environment. Especially when using a plurality of video motes, the orientation of each of the video motes or at least some indication of their orientation as they progress through the remote environment or as they are dragged into the remote environment may be beneficial to identify in what direction the remote environment or oil reservoir is extending. As indicated before, such indication may be gained by using, for example, a compass signal inside the video mote, or some visual indication may be provided before the video mote enters the remote environment through which of the openings the video mote enters the remote environment. This may be recorded by switching on the camera of the video mote just before the video mote enters the remote environment via the opening.

In an embodiment of the sensor system, the sensor system further comprises a central computer connected to the receiver. The central computer may be connected to the receiver via a high capacity data cable to ensure that the plurality of digital images received by the receiver from the plurality of video mote can be transmitted to the central computer, for example, simultaneously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. In the drawings,

FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically show a remote environment, which may be visually inspected using the video mote according to the invention,

FIG. 2A shows a first embodiment of a video mote according to the invention, and FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment of the video mote according to the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a sensor system comprising a plurality of video motes which can be lowered into a remote environment, and

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating the method of inserting a video mote into the remote environment according to an aspect of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS IN FIGS. 1-3

-   100 an oil reservoir -   110 non-oil-bearing formation -   112 oil-bearing formation remote environment -   122 retrieval point -   124 production pipe -   126 uptake zone -   132 injection point -   134 (injection) pipe -   136 Injection zone -   140 production tank -   142 mote source -   144 mote filter -   146 mote and fluid path -   150 opening -   200, 202 video mote -   210 camera -   220 controller -   230 container -   240 flexible wire -   215, 250 further sensor -   260, 265 external fins -   300 sensor system -   310 a receiver -   320 connecting cable -   330 central computer

It should be noted that items which have the same reference numbers in different Figures, have the same structural features and the same functions, or are the same signals. Where the function and/or structure of such an item have been explained, there is no necessity for repeated explanation thereof in the detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplary of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described.

One application of the method of visually inspecting a three-dimensional structure comprising one or more channels is the inspection of wormholes. The wormholes form channels in rock formations such as sandstone.

The visual inspection may be performed using a plurality of video motes connected to a flexible wire to ensure good data communication between the video mote and the outside while the video mote progresses through the remote environment.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic cross section of an oil reservoir 100. The oil reservoir 100 comprises a non-oil-bearing formation 110 and an oil-bearing formation 112 being the remote environment which at least partially needs to be visually inspected. Inside oil-bearing formation 112 or inside the remote environment 112 channels are formed, e.g., wormholes caused by applying the CHOPS oil recovery technique. Oil-bearing formation 112 is an example of the remote environment 112 having a three-dimensional structure comprising one or more channels. Note that wormholes appear on different scales; a visual inspection will usually be restricted to channels of a minimum dimension, e.g., having a minimum diameter. For example, wormholes that are not accessible by the video mote will not be inspected.

Oil reservoir 100 comprises at least two wells or pipes: a production well 124 or production pipe 124, and an injection well 134 or injection pipe 134. Oil reservoir 100 may comprise more wells. The wells may be used for the CHOPS method. Production well 124 is used to recover oil form oil-bearing formation 112 and injection well 134 or injection pipe 134 is used to inject liquid and/or sand into oil-bearing formation 112. At the surface of oil reservoir 100, production well 124 has a retrieval point 122 and injection well 134 has an injection point 132. Retrieval point 122 may be used to extract oil from oil-bearing formation 112. Thus the injection well 134 may be used to insert the video mote 202, 202 (see FIG. 2) or insert the plurality of video motes 200, 202 into the oil-bearing formation 112 to visually inspect a part of the wormholes inside the oil-bearing formation 112.

Both wells have one or more perforations 150 or openings 150 (see FIG. 3) to allow access to the oil-bearing formation 112. In the production well 124 these perforations 150 or openings 150 are in an uptake zone 126 of well 124; in the injection well 134 or injection pipe 134 these perforations 150 or openings 150 are located, for example, in an injection zone 136. Uptake zone 126 and injection zone 136 may have a different size, number of perforations and perforation diameter.

For example, oil-bearing formation 112 or remote environment 112 may have a vertical thickness of 30 meters; oil-bearing formation 112 or remote environment 112 may be at a depth of 300 meter. Production well 124 and injection well 134 may be placed at an angle, e.g. of 47 degrees. The distance between the production well 124 and the injection well 134 at the depth of zones 126 and 136 may be 350 meter. These numbers are included as an example only; Oil-bearing formations are known at various depth and thicknesses, having different types of wells to which the mapping method is applicable.

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram of the infrastructure of an oil reservoir 100. In addition to the elements shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B also shows a production tank 140. Production tank 140 may be used to store the oil and sand recovered from oil-bearing formation 112.

At injection point 132 a video mote 200, 202 or a plurality of video motes 200, 202 may be injected into oil-bearing formation 112. The video mote 200, 202 or video motes 200, 202 comprise a flexible wire for allowing the video mote 200, 202 to communicate with the outside. Typically this flexible wire has a length somewhere between 1 and 50 meters and is coupled to a receiver 310 (see FIG. 3) The video mote 200, 202 then travels together with the liquid forced into the oil-bearing formation 112 through the one or more channels until they run out of flexible wire or until they get stuck inside a narrow wormhole. FIG. 1B schematically shows the fluid path 146.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the video mote 200 according to the invention. The video mote 200 comprises a camera 210 for capturing digital images from the remote environment 112 (see FIG. 1A) and comprises a controller 220 arranged for receiving the digital image from the camera 210 and for transmitting the digital image to a central computer 330 (see FIG. 3). The video mote 200 further comprises an at least partially transparent container 230 for protecting the camera 210 and the controller 220 and any other element present in the video mote 200. The container 230 has a maximum outer dimension of less than 30 millimeter so the container 230 may move into the remote environment 112, even if this remote environment 112 comprises relatively small wormholes. To ensure that the video mote 200 can transmit the digital images to the central computer 330, the video mote 200 is connected to a flexible wire 240. This flexible wire has a length of more than 1 meter and is connected to the controller 220 such that the controller 220 can transmit the digital image away from the video mote 200 to the central computer 330.

In the embodiment of the video mote 200 as shown in FIG. 2A, the container 230 of the video mote 200 further comprises external fins 260 for stabilizing the video mote 200 in the moving liquid. As indicated before, the video mote 200 is forced into the remote environment 112 by being dragged along with liquid which is forced via the pipe 134 and the openings 150 (see FIG. 3) into the remote environment 112. The weight of the video mote 200 may, for example, be partially carried by the flexible wire 240 and during the process of entering the remote environment 112 the liquid will flow along the flexible wire 240 towards the video mote 200. To provide a relatively stable positioning of the video mote 200 in such streaming liquid, the external fins 260 preferably are arranged at a side of the video mote 200 is faces away from the connection point where the flexible wire 240 connects and holds the video mote 200. In the current embodiment, this part 235 of the container 230 is also at least partially transparent such that the camera 210 can generate digital images from the surroundings of the video mote through this transparent part 235. So the external fin 260 may block some of the surroundings of the video mote 200 when generating the digital image from the surroundings. Alternatively, the external fin 260 may be made also of transparent material to minimize the blocking of the external fin 260 in the digital image.

FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment of the video mote 202 according to the invention. Next to the camera 210, the controller 220, the container 230 and the flexible wire 240, this second embodiment of the video mote 202 further comprises a further sensor 215, 250. This further sensor 215, 250 may be a further camera 215 as shown in FIG. 2B and which is configured for making a digital image of a further part of the surroundings of the video mote 202. Additionally and alternatively, the further sensor 215, 250 may be a sensor 250 for sensing an environmental parameter in the immediate surroundings of the video sensor 202. This further sensor 250 may be a pressure sensor 250 for sensing the pressure immediately outside the video mote 202. Alternatively, the further sensor 250 may be a temperature sensor 250, an acidity sensor 250 and/or a conductivity sensor 250.

In an alternative embodiment of the video mote 202, the further sensor 250 may be configured for sensing an orientation of the video mote 202 while the video mote 202 is progressing through the opening 150 or progressing through the remote environment 112. For example, the video mote 202 may comprise an on-board navigation arrangement 250 such as an inertia navigation system 250, comprising, for example, an accelerometer, or a gyroscope or a magnetometer. Alternatively and in some circumstance the further sensor 250 may be a compass 250 which may be used to determine the orientation of the video mote 202 and determine the migration direction of the video mote 202 into the remote environment 112. Alternatively, there may be other identification means which may be picked up by the further sensor 250. For example, at the end of the pipe 134 (see FIG. 3) connecting the surface 100 with the remote environment 112 there may be some kind of identification in what direction the video mote 202 will enter the remote environment 112 from the pipe 134. This may even be a simple visual mark which may be identified using the on-board camera of the video mote 202 before the video mote 202 leaves the pipe 134 and enters into the remote environment 112.

The embodiment of the video mote 202 as shown in FIG. 2B also comprises an external fin 265 for stabilizing the position of the video mote 202 in moving liquid.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the sensor system 300 according to the invention. The sensor system 300 comprises one or more video motes 200, 202 according to the invention connected to a receiver 310 via the flexible wire 240. The receiver 310 may, for example, be coupled to the central computer 330 via a cable 320 which, for example, has a data-bandwidth for transmitting multiple digital images from multiple video motes 200, 202 towards the central computer 330. When inserting the video motes 200, 202 into the remote environment 112, the receiver 310 to which the video motes 200, 202 are connected is lowered into the injection pipe 134. Using the camera, the position of the video motes 200, 202 inside the injection pipe 134 may be determined such that the video motes 200, 202 are relatively close to the opening 150 or to the plurality of openings 150 in the injection pipe 134. When the video motes 200, 202 are at the required position, the liquid is forced into the injection pipe 134 and will be forced into the remote environment 112 through the openings 150, dragging the video motes 200, 202 along into the remote environment 112. Continue to lower the receiver 310 into the injection pipe 134 while the liquid is forced into the remote environment 112 allows the video motes 200, 202 to migrate further into the remote environment 112 to visually inspect the remote environment 112.

It is preferred to know in what direction the video mote 200, 202 or the individual video motes 200, 202 in the plurality of video motes 200, 202 are migrating into the remote environment 112. For this reason the video mote 200, 202 may comprise a further sensor 250 to indicate the direction in which the video mote 200, 202 progresses. Alternatively, a visual marking is present at the inside of the injection pipe 134 which may be viewed by the video mote 200, 202 when entering into the remote environment 112 such that the initial direction at which the video mote 200, 202 enters the remote environment 112 can be identified.

Before the liquid is forced through the pipe 134 into the remote environment 112 the video mote 200, 202 or the plurality of video motes 200, 202 may be hanging from the receiver 310. In one embodiment of the video mote 200, 202, the video mote 200, 202 may be coupled to the receiver 310 only by the flexible wire 240 which is, next to communicating the digital image from the video mote 200, 202 to the receiver 310, also carrying the weight of the video mote 200, 202 while hanging from the receiver 310. In an alternative embodiment, an additional cable, wire or rope is connected between the receiver 310 and the video mote 200, 202 to at least partially carry the weight of the video mote 200, 202. In such an embodiment, the flexible wire 240 may be made more narrow such that the video mote 200, 202 may penetrate deeper into the remote environment 112.

When the video mote 200, 202 is lowered into the pipe 134 to reach the vicinity of the opening 150, the pipe 134 may either already be filled with liquid or the pipe may only comprise air or another gas. In a first embodiment of the video mote 200, 202, the video mote 200, 202 preferably is heavier than the liquid such that when the pipe 134 is already filled (at least partially) with water the video mote 200, 202 still sinks into the liquid to reach the vicinity of the opening 150. In an alternative embodiment of the video mode 200, 202, the video mote 200, 202 is configured to be buoyant in the liquid. For such video motes 200, 202 the pipe 134 preferably is not filled with water when the video mote 200, 202 is lowered into the pipe 134. Still, when the video mote 200, 202 is buoyant, the video mote 200, 202 can relatively easily flow with the liquid into remote locations inside the remote environment 112 and visually inspect relatively far remote locations inside the remote environment 112.

In FIG. 4 a flow diagram 400 represents the method of inserting the video mote 200, 202 according to the invention. In step 410 “insert video mote into pipe” the video mote 200, 202 is lowered into the pipe 134. This may be done, as already indicated, by connecting the video mote 200, 202 to the receiver 310 and lowering the receiver 310 into the pipe 134. Next, step 420 “lowering video mote to first position” the video mote 200, 202 or video motes 200, 202 are lowered to the vicinity of the opening 150 (see FIG. 3). In step 430 “check first position using camera” the first position is checked using the camera 210 inside the video mote 200, 202 or inside the plurality of video motes 200, 202. If the video mote 200, 202 or the plurality of video motes 200, 202 are not located at the required position the process returns to step 420 “lowering video mote to first position” to correct the position of the video mote 200, 202, which is indicated in the flow diagram of FIG. 4 via the arrow referring from step 430 back to step 420. If the position of the video mote 200, 202 or the plurality of video motes 200, 202 is correct, the next step 440 “initiate liquid flow through pipe” initiates the liquid flow through the pipe 134 into the remote environment 112 via the opening 150. Due to this flowing liquid, the video mote 200, 202 or plurality of video motes 200, 202 may be dragged along into the remote environment 112 and visually inspect the remote environment 112. When using a plurality of video motes 200, 202, each of the plurality of video motes 200, 202 may be dragged into the remote environment 112 into a different direction radially away from the pipe 134. Finally, in step 450 “lower video mote into opening” the video mote 200, 202 or the plurality of video motes 200, 202 are further lowered into the opening 150 and may be dragged further into the remote environment 112 by the flowing liquid. This step 450 may, of course also be performed by lowering the receiver 310 further down the pipe 134. While allowing the video mote 200, 202 or the plurality of video motes 200, 202 to migrate further into the remote environment 112, digital images may be captured by the camera 210. As indicated before, the rate at which the digital images are captured by the camera 210 may be determined by the video mote 200, 202 or may be determined by the bandwidth of the flexible wire 240 and/or the connecting cable 320 which connects the receiver 310 to the central computer 330. In a preferred embodiment, when the bandwidth is sufficient, a plurality of live videos is captured from the plurality of video motes 200, 202 simultaneously.

Summarizing, the invention provides a method of inserting a video mode into a remote environment 112, a video mote 200, and a sensor system 300. The video mote comprises a camera 210 for capturing a digital image via a flexible wire 240 to a central computer 330. The video mote further comprises an at least partially transparent container 230 and comprises a flexible wire 240 having a length of more than 1 meter being connected to the receiver 310. The method of inserting the video mote comprises the steps of lowering the video mote into a pipe 134 to a first position near an opening 150, and forcing a liquid through the pipe and thereby forcing the video mote through the opening into the remote environment.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. 

1. Method of inserting a video mote into a remote environment via a pipe, the video mote being connected to a flexible wire and the pipe comprising an opening in a wall of the pipe for providing access to the remote environment, the method comprising the steps of: lowering the video mote into the pipe to a first position inside the pipe near the opening, and forcing a liquid through the pipe into the remote environment via the opening and thereby forcing the video mote through the opening into the remote environment.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video mote is coupled to a receiver and wherein the step of lowering the video mote into the pipe comprises lowering the receiver into the pipe.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of: determining the first position using the camera of the video mote.
 4. The method according to claim 2, where a plurality of video motes are coupled to the receiver, wherein during the step of lowering the video motes into the pipe to the first position inside the pipe near the opening, video motes of the plurality of video motes are lowered into the pipe.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is configured for inserting the video mote into the remote environment containing oil.
 6. A video mote configured for capturing images in a remote environment, the video mote comprising: a camera for capturing digital images from the remote environment, a controller arranged for receiving the digital image from the camera and for transmitting the digital image to a central computer via a receiver, a container at least partially transparent for protecting the camera and the controller, the container having a maximum outer dimension less than 30 millimeter, a flexible wire having a length of more than 1 meter and being connected to the controller for transmitting the digital image away from the video mote via the flexible wire to the receiver, and an energy supply.
 7. The video mote according to claim 6, wherein the flexible wire is further connected to the energy supply for providing power to the video mote.
 8. The video mote according to claim 6, wherein the container comprises external fins for stabilizing the video mote in moving liquid.
 9. A sensor system comprising at least one video mote according to claim 6, and a receiver, the at least one video mote being connected to the receiver via the flexible wire for transmitting the digital image from the video mote via the flexible wire to the receiver.
 10. The sensor system according to claim 9, wherein the sensor system is configured for identifying an orientation of the video mote inside a pipe and/or inside the remote environment.
 11. The sensor system according to claim 9, wherein the sensor system further comprises the central computer connected to the receiver. 